1. United States
2. S.D.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my strongest possible objection to the recent rollback of Endangered Species Act protections. This decision is reckless, scientifically indefensible, and a direct threat to the ecological stability of our country. Weakening the definition of harm so that habitat destruction no longer counts is not regulatory reform. It is an open invitation for industries to destroy the very places endangered species need to survive. For decades, harm has included killing wildlife and destroying or degrading their habitat. That definition is not arbitrary. It reflects overwhelming scientific consensus that habitat loss is the primary driver of extinction. Removing habitat protections strips the ESA of its backbone and leaves vulnerable species exposed to logging, mining, drilling, and development that will push many of them past the point of recovery. Legal experts, conservation scientists, and environmental organizations have already warned that this rollback undermines the Act’s proven success and contradicts long‑standing legal precedent. They have filed suit because the administration has failed to justify dismantling one of the most effective conservation laws in history. The ESA has saved the bald eagle, the peregrine falcon, the California condor, and countless other species precisely because habitat protections were enforced. Eliminating those protections now is a deliberate step backward. This rollback is not about common sense or property rights. It is about prioritizing short‑term industrial gain over irreplaceable biodiversity and the long‑term health of our ecosystems. Habitat destruction is permanent. Once a forest is cut down or a watershed polluted, the species that depended on it do not get a second chance. I urge you to take immediate and decisive legislative action to restore the full definition of harm under the Endangered Species Act and to defend habitat protections without compromise. The stakes could not be higher. Our wildlife, our landscapes, and future generations depend on your willingness to stand against this destructive rollback.